Transfer mechanism for circular knitting machines



AA. E. PAGE Maly 26, 1931.

TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 8, 1929 May 26 1931. A, E, @AGE 1,807,008

TRANSFER HECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHIES Filed May 8. 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 mfvlluroR ALBERT E. PAGE y 7:15' alarnevz/S MMM A. E. PAGE May 26, 1931.'

TRANSFER IECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 8. 1929 5 Shee'tS-Shef v`3 INVENTOR ALBERT E. PAGE May 26, 1931. A. E. PAGE,

TRANSFER MECHANISMAFOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 8. 1929 I 5 Sheets-Sheet' 4 n E E .'L T =1 25 T =1 Q i f /73 i ,//70 @Ik t 1 l j 26 /84 /76 /77 i l 1 IMQ, l 1 f A/Za |lll V Pn Imuuuyl I l f7? V w ma f l 73 l M8. 26 Imm-uw, yl Z5 l 7 WZ 14 l-NVNTOR ALBERT E. PGE

May 26, `1931. A, E, PAGE 1,807,008

TRANSFER IIECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES pendent of all the knitting operations of Y ment on the mechanism shown in that ap- Patented May 26, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicEf,

ALBERT E. PAGE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO SCOTT AND WILLIAMS,

INCOBJFGR-ATED, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.,

.A CORPORATION 0F MASSACHUSETTS TRANSFER ivincnnnisn son CIRCULAR. KNITTING MACHINES Appncatin' inea May s,

10 preparatory to the knitting of the leg and M foot of the half hose. rlhis purpose of the invention is, t0 coordinate. properly the transferring operations with the knitting operations vofV the machine, to Vmake them auto- 15 matic and to provide simplified and accuf v`rate mechanism.

LAccording to my invention the transfer ring ispermanently attachedin a revoluble manner and the operation of topping, i. e.

y Zprunning the stitches onto the quills of the' point ring is performed without removal of the ring 4frein the machine. The ring is lmounted on a pivot carrier arm as heretofore known but the mechanism for controllinF the swine-inir of the carrier arm is indeb c la the machine and yet is so controlled that the operation of transfer can be accomplished only when the machine is ready for it. 4Mechanism of this type and for this general purposeV is described andV claimed broadl in the L. VN. D. Williams application erial No. 355,765 filed April 17th,v 1929. My present invention is an improveplication. e y

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the new transfer mechanism par-` tially inverted over the needle ,cylinder of the well-known Scott and Williams' type of seamless hosiery vmachine.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the transferv ring and carrier arm in inverted position. is' a side elevation of the mechanism for locking the needle Vcylinder in registry with the quills of the `point ring.

`Fig. 4 is an elevation of the transfer ring and locking mechanism showing the transfer ring locked in idle or retracted position.

1929. Serial No. 361,418.

Fig.5 is a plan viewof the lockingniechanism of. Fig. 4.' e

Fig. 6 is a detail partly in section of the locking mechanism. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the: carrer arm bracket and latch.

Fig. 8 is an elevation ofthe transfer ring in inverted position. Fig. 9 is a vertical section through the Fig. 10 is a plan View of the top lof the transfer ring when inverted showingV the means of centering same. A f' Fig. 11 `is a horizontal sectional `view through the transfer ring taken` on jline ii-ii OfFig. 9, L Fig; 12 is an elevation offthetransfer ring in'retracted. position partly in section taken on the line 12-12 of Fig. 13.'.

Fig. 13 isa horizontal section through the transfer ring `taken on line 13-13 of Fig. 12. While Fig. 14 is a vertical elevation of the transfer ring partly in section taken on the line 14-14 offFig 11.

The invention is shown embodied in the 'i usual Scott and Williams type of seamless hosiery knitting machine having a revoluble needle cylinder 260 carried in abedplate Bwith anvoutside sinker cam cap 300 and latch ringr arm 550 for carrying the yarn lingers. The yarn ngers arev controlled as usual from the main pattern drum 120i) means ofthe thrust rods 460. e Y The transfer mechanism comprises a transfer ring carried., by an "arm` 16 pivoted to swingabout an axis 15 on a bracket 14 carafter completion of thetransfer operation,Y

transfer ringtaken on'v the line 9179 lof Fig.Y

It also holds that transfer ring in retracted position until the knitting machine has knitted another stocking, stopped revolving and locked the needle cylinder with its needles in a position which will register with the quills of the transfer' ring when inverted over the needle cylinder. The mechanism which accomplishes these objects will now be described.

The upper end of a thrust rod 460@ is pivotally connected to the rear end of an operating lever 42 which lever is pivoted on the carrier arm bracket 14. Attached to this same end of the operating lever 42 is a tension spring 52 whose lower end is fastened to a fixed part of the machine in order that the spring may tend to keep the thrust rod down in contact with the surface of the main pattern drum. The forward end of this operating lever 42 is formed as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, and extends under the axis 15 of the carrier arm 16. It also has an ear, or lug 159, extending laterally, pierced to permit free passage of a locking pin 36. This locking pin passes through an opening in a stationary cover of the bedplate B and into a hole 51 in a horizontal bevel gear or ring 37. It might be men tioned at this point that the lower end of the locking pin 36 is preferablyT tapered slightly in order to assist in bringing the needle cylinder into accurate registry. The bevel gear 37 is fast on the needle cylinder and revolves the latter. It will, therefore, be obvious that when the locking pin 36 is pushed down through the bedplate into the hole 51 in the bevel gear 37 the needle cylinder is locked against rotation. The hole in the cover of the bedplate and the hole 51 in the bevel gear are so located that when they are in registry the needles n of the needle cylinder 260 are in a position where each will be. in registry with and adapted to slide into a hollow quill in the transfer ring when the latter is inverted over the needle cylinder. The locking pin 36 is given a lost motion connection with its operating lever 42 by means of a Cotter pin passing through the locking pin just above the ear or lug 159 on the operating lever and a compression spring 158 on the locking pin below that ear 159 and a shoulder 160 on the pin supporting the lower end of the compression spring.

In order that the machine may knit after the transfer operation is completed it is necessary that the locking pin 36 be .withdrawn from operative position and this cannot be done from the main pattern drum without racking same. The drum cannot be racked except by ,rotating the needle cylinder and that is impossible without withdrawing the pin. In accordance with my invention, I- therefore provide means in which the cam 501 moves from under the foot of the thrust rod 460@ before the locking pin 36 drops home, and maintains the spring pressure downward on that pin before transfer and causes its withdrawal from the horizontal bevel gear 37 after transfer by independent means controlled by the transfer mechanism. rlheee means are provided to hold the compression spring 158 in operative position even when the ear 159 of the locking lever 42 is freed to rise under the influence of the tension spring 52 by the thrust rod 460@ riding off the cam 501. These independent means are adapted to hold the spring in operative position after it has once been compressed by the locking lever 42 until the transfer arm 16 has been inverted over the needle cylinder and retracted again. Pivotally connected to the end of the locking lever 42 is a vertical safety pin 40 moving through an arm 41 of the r transfer bracket 14. The upper end of' this safety pin is in line with a circular cam 39 located about the axis 15 and the carrier arm 16 and revolvin with the carrier arm. The major portion of this carrier arm cam is preferably of such a height that when it is in engagement with the safety pin 40 that pin will serve to hold the ear 159 of the locking lever 42 down to a level which keeps the spring 15S under compression. In other words as long as the cam 39 on the carrier arm is in engagement with the safety pin 40 the locking pin 36 will be spring-pressed downward and will drop into the hole 51 in the bevel gear 37 as soon as that hole comes into register with the pin. The location of the cam 39 about the axis 15 is such that the normal height of the cam extends far enough around to be in contact with the safety pin from the fully inverted position of the transfer ring to just short of the fully retracted position. At the end of the cam 39 corresponding to the retracted position of the transfer ring, there is a low surface 166 and adjacent to the end of that surface, but slightly higher, is a spring-pressed locking plunger whose end is adapted to meet the safety pin 40 that pin rides along the surface 166 above mentioned. This locking plunger 163 is held forward in contact with the end of the low surface 166 by a spring 164 confined in the transfer arm 16 by a screw 165.

The operation of the device the transfer ring is retracted can be observed in Fig,- ure 6. As the carrier arm 16 is retracted the safety pin 40 under the influence of the spring 52, acting through the locking lever 42, maintains Contact with the low surface 166 and coming into engagement with the spring-pressed locking plunger 163 pushes that plunger back intothe carrier arm 16 against the tension spring 164. As soon as plunger 163 far enough to itself clear the end, ofthe low surface 166,.the spring 52 forces `the safety pin 40- into the notch 166@ between the end of the "lowsurface 166 and the main portion of .thecarrier arm k16. When thepin 40 is thus located inthe notch 166@ it will `be obvious that the carrier arm 16 cannot be inverted overthe .needle cylinder again and, that therefore .the transfer 4 ring cannot be inverted :unless anduntil released by the selectingr mechanism controlling the knitting operations, i; e. the main pattern drum 120. 1 1

AWhen the thrust rod 1600; rides up onto the came 501 on the main pattern drum, the locking lever 42 pulls the safety pin 40 down out of thenotch 166@ at the end of' the low level 1.66`of the cam 39, and the notch 1666; is promptlyfilled.automatically by the locking plunger 163. `When the thrust rod 460@ rides off thecam 501 the tension spring 52, acting through the locking lever 42, pushes the safetypin upwardly into contact with the locking plunger 163, but the safety pin 40 cannot rise far enough to allow the ear 159 ofthe locking lever 42 to release the compression spring V158. The locking pin 36 therefore remains under spring pressure untilthe hole`51 in the level gearV is brought into'rregister with it, and`even after it has dropped into operative position thesafety -pin 40 lholds the locking lever l2` down, as

shown for instance in Fig. 3. .Y It will be obviousv that from the 'moment the thrust rod460a rode up ony the cam 501 on themain pattern drum the carrierarm 16 was unlocked as far as concerns the safety pin 40,.and could be inverted over the needle cylinder. However, the locking pin 36 had not at that time dropped into locking position with the horizontal bevel gear and the needlecylinder was, therefore,.not in register `with `the prospective position of the quills of the transfer ring. Therefore it is preferable 4to have anadditionallocking means to hold the carrier arm` retracted after the locking'pin has beenput'under spring pressure until the locking pin actually drops home into the hole 451 in thebevel gear. lFor this purpose I'provide a locking catch 161, pivotally mounted onthe bracket 14. One end of this catch overlies the upper end of the locking pin 36 and the other end is madel inthe form of a hook'adapted to overlie a' pin 167 Y projecting laterallyfrom the carrier arm 16; This locking catch of such shape that when its locking pin end is in contact with the upper end of the locking pin 36 the hook end will be inlengaging position with ythe pin 167 until the locking pin 36 Vdrops homerinto operative position. When the lockingpin 36 drops .down to ythis position a .y tension springl 162 fastened ,between the arm 41.0fthe bracket 14, andthe lockingV catch 161; pullsthe hook .out of 'en-.

gagementwith the pin 167, freeing thecarrier arm r16 for inversion over the needles.

The novelv means of mounting the transfer ringonthe carrier arm `16 inl cooperative relation to the parts previously `described will nowfbe set forth.` Thisv mechanism is claimed in' my, divisional application Ser. No. 433,378 filed March 5, 1930. j

As shown in the drawings the carrier arm 16 is of such a shape thatwhen retractedthe transfer ring is in a horizontal ,plane with the quills g pointed upwardly and with the transfer ring heldrevolubly in a manner which will be described in thel subsequent paragraph. The carrier arm 16 can, if desired, be made of two parts, the lower arm 16 and an upper arm 168 with set screws joining the two, armsadapted to provide Vertical adjustment of the transfer ring relatively to the needle cylinder. The upper arm 168 has four arms thereon to which the transfer ring is attached in the following manner. There is a mounting plate or pilot 169 screwed to the various legs of the upper transfer ring arm 168, the exact central position `of `this pilot being adjustable by meansoffour horizontal chucking screws 181 passing through the central portionof the arm,168*-intoqengagementwith a short central collar 169e, of the pilotf` This construction: .is lshown in Figs. 2, `8,9 and 10.

- It will be observed that there is a vertical 'pilot sleeve 170 formingA a unitary part of the pilot and stretching outwardly towardV the quills of the transfer ring in the form of a complete` cylinder (Fig. 13).u This pilot sleeve-provides a firm well centered mounting for the-transfer ring proper and thel other parts about to be described. Fitting loosely .around the outside4 of this vpilot sleeve 170 is a stripper ring 175 carrying the individualstrippersv17 6 located between the individual quills g and adapted to strip the terminal stitches and push them -onto Ythe needles of the knittingnmachine. The transfer ring proper in4 theconstruction` shown in the drawings is composed of a transferring base 171 slidably mounted outside the stripper ring 175, an YVinside-transfer ring `174 onA top of the base' 171 and an outside transfer ring'173 threaded onto the upper end of the base andholding the inside transfer ring and quills assembled in position.` The upper ends of the strippers overlie the top of the inside transfer ring in order that they may be intercalated between the quills g. The `vertical movement of the base 171 is limited byV an external shoulder 171@ on the base and two adjustableV transfer ring stops 172-adapted to engage the Vshoulder 171m. When` the transfenring is inverted over the needle cylinder and, the transfer ring is pushedV down toward the needles these stops, catching ontheledge or shoulder 171w, ac .Curately define the degree ofinter-engagement of the needles with the quills.- This engagement can be adjusted by means of vertical screws lying on the under surface ofthe pilot 169,the adjustment beinglocked by means of the screws which mount the stops on the pilot. In ord-er that the stripper ring and strippers may have their movement relatively to the transfer ring limited to the proper extent, a small vertical slot is cut in the transfer ring base and a screw 177 carried by the stripper ring located in that slot. he ends of4 the slot serve to determine the limits of movement of the strippers relatively to the transfer ring.

F or the purpose of actuating the transfer ring and the strippers an axial handle 24 is provided which passes through the sleeve 1690i of the pilot. An operating button 25 is provided on the end of this handle and a light spring 26 is preferably located between this button 25 and the sleeve 169m. On the 'inner end of this operating handle 24 two stripper operating fingers 173 are adjustably fastened by means of two screws 179 passing through slots 179@ 'in the fingers, these lingers being laid vside by side on the end of the handle 24 and projectingin opposite directions from the aXis of the handle through openings 180 in the pilotV sleeve 170. The ends of these operating fingers project into a circumferential groove in the-stripper ring and the strippers therefore move4 in unison with the handle 24. The openings 180 in the vertical pilot sleeve are high enough to permit advancement of the strippers to the necessary limit as defined by the stop pin 177 even when the transfer ring is farthest away from the pilot 169 with the quills g in engagement with the needles n of the needle cylinder.

The transfer ring base 171 when resting on the top surface of the pilot 169 is prevented from rotating relatively to the pilot by means of keys and coinplemental keyways. In the drawings there are two keys 182 on the pilot projecting upwardly into keyways 183 on the lower edge of the transfer ring base 171. These keysY fit into the keyways 183 without any lost motion and in this way the transfer ring is kept accurately in register with the needles. f it is desired to rotate the ring while the saine is in retracted position in order to assist the operation of topping, i. e. putting the stitches of the ribbed top on the quills of the transfer ring, the transfer ring can be lifted away from the pilot as far as permitted bythe ring stops 172. In this posit-ion the transfer ring base is above the tops of the keyways 182 and it is therefore possible to rotate the transfer ring. `When two keyways are employed as shown in the drawings, it ispreferable to make the keys dissimilar in order that the transfer ring may not drop down into register with the keys when half a revolution has been completed. In the drawlngs these keys and their complemental keyways are made dissimilar withregard to the axis of the transfer ring by locating them in circumferentially unequal positions. It will be obvious that when the transfer ring is rotated the complemental keyways will not both be in register with the keys at the same time when the transfer ring has been turned about one-half of a revolution, but of course when the ring has been turned 360 the keys and keyways will match up Simultaneously and the transfer ring will drop down onto the pilot in proper registry again. By having two keys and keyways the transfer ring is better supported and does not jam.

The construction of the machine having been described, its operation will now be set forth. Assuming that the machine has linished knitting the previous stocking, including the loopers rounds, a lug on the pattern chain causes a rack of the main pattern drum which raises the active yarn linger to inactive. position, cutting and clamping the yarn and at the saine timecauses the completed stocking to be pressed off the needles. The main pattern drum isthen given a second rack which raises the latch ring out of operative position and shifts the driving belt to the idle pulley, thus stopping the machine. This shifting of the belt occurs at such a moment that the machine stops at about one-quarter of a revolution before the hole 51 in the bevel gear 37 comes into register with the locking pin 36. This same rack also brings the cam 501 under the foot of the locking lever thrust bar 460e, causing the compression spring 158 to put the locking pin 36 under pressure toward operative position with the lower end of the locking pin riding on the surface of the horizontal bevel gear 37.

The. tipping of the locking lever 42 which compresses the spring 158, also pulls down the safety pin 40 out of the notch 166@y and the spring 164-thereupon snaps the locking plunger 163 across the notch 1660, preventing the safety vpin from returning into the notch and holding it down far enough to keep the locking pin 36 under pressure from the spring 158.

J ust as the rack which brought the cam 501 under the thrust rod 4600/. is completed, the cam 501 comes from under the thrust rod and the spring 52 attempts to pivot the locking lever 42 to release the locking pin. It cannot do this, however, because the locking plunger 163 lies across the top of the safety pin 40 and the locking pin 36 therefore stays under spring-pressed pressure downward and the thrust rod 460@ remains suspended a short distance above the surface of the main pattern drum. This locking out of the safety pin 40 to continue Y one of the novel features of the invention.

The driving belt now being on an idley pulley land the racking of themachine Ahav#y ing stopped,` the ,operator turns the machine by hand abontone-quarter of a revolu?` tion until the locking vpin 36 dropsinto the hole 5l in the horizontal bevel gear 37. ItY will be obvious that, -if desired, the complef tion ofthe second rackmay be delayed until it occurs simultaneously vwith the making of the onequarter revolution of the needle cylinder in which case the thrust rodv 460cv can be made to ride offthe cam 501 rabout the same time that the locking pin 36 drops home into the hole in the bevel gear, but I have found-it convenientto completeY the racking of the main pattern drum l2() automatically before the .operator makes the onequarter turn by hand.`

- .The operator having made the one-quarterturn and thel pin having vdropped into locking oroperative position the apparatus is in the positionshown in Fig. 3.

Up to this timefthe transfer ring has been inthe retractedV position shown inv Fig. 4; with the lockingv catch-161 hooked over the pin167. The `locking catch has been held in this position againstv the tension ofV its spring162 by the engagement ,of theback end `of the lockingcatchwith thetop ofthe locking pin 36. As soon as the `locking pin drops down into ,operative position, .however, the spring 162 pivots `the locking catch and releases its hold on pin 167. 4The safety pinlO having previously been withdrawn fromthe notch 166a,.the operator canV nowv invert theltransferring as shown in Fig. 1 until it` assumes the position shownin Fig. 2. .The transfer ringV plung-` er Vspring 26 prevents the strippers-1176;V from being inadvertently moved'relativelyv tothe quillsgbut thefvweight of thetransouter surface of the inside transferring; The quills are now in yengagement withV the needles mas shown in Fig. `2, and the operator by pressing downwardly :on the handle 25 can advance the strippers andV transfer theterminal loops of the :ribbed top .to needles of the knitting ,machine Whilev this is happening the locking pin 36 is held against accidental withdrawal from active` position bythe cam 39 and thesafety `pin 40.` 7

\ The operator still holding thehandle 25 again swings. the transfer ring through an arc. returningit to the `retracted position shown in Fig. 4. A's the carrier armapproachesfthis retracted position the safety.` pinAO, following` thesurface ofthe cam 39.v closelyfby virture of the tension spring A52Y on the locking lever 42, rides' down on the low surface 166 rand engages against `the end. ofthe locking plunger 163 as shownA in Fig. 6. The completion of the retraction of the carrier arm pushes the plunger `163 back out of the lnotch, 166@ and the spring 52 raises the locking pinout of operative position and snaps the safety pin 40 vinto the notch 1660i. Thus this movement simultaneously releases the bevel gear for further revolution and locks the transfer ring against inversion over the -needle cylinder until thepattern drum has once'more com,- pleted its full knitting cycle and brought am 501 under the ,foot of thethrust rod 0a... The'claims of thisapplication havemore particular reference to mechanism stressing resilient means acting on a device for locking the needle cylinder against rotation, and

simultaneously with thelocking ofthe cylsaid pin finto locking position, a lever to y put said springfinto'operative position and means adapted to hold said spring in said position.` c r 4 A circular knitting machine having a revoluble needle cylinder, stitch transfer mechanism adapted to be moved into and out of operative relationwith the cylinder,

and a pintolock the cylinder against Total tion, in combination with a'spring to press said pin into locking position, allever to put said spring into operative positionand a' plurality ofV independently actuatedjmeans acting onesaid lever to hold said'sprin'g in said' position.1 i y 3. A circular 'knittingfmachine having a revoluble needle cylinder,` stitch transfer mechanism adapted to be moved into and out of operative relation with VtheV cylinder, and apin to'lock the cylinder against rotation, in combination with a spring to press said pininto locking position, a lever to put said spring into operative position and means controlled by said transfer mechanism adapted to hold said spring in said position.

4:. A circular knitting machine having a revoluble needle cylinder, stitch4 'transfer mechanism adapted to be moved into and vout'of operative relation withthe cylinder,

tion, in combination with a spring to press said pin into locking position, a lever to put said spring into operative position and means controlled by said transfer mechanism adapted to hold said spring in said position until said transfer mechanism has been moved into and out of operative relation with the cylinder.

5. A circular knitting machine having a revoluble needle cylinder, stitch transfer mechanism adapted to be moved into and out of operative relation with the cylinder, a pin adapted to lock the cylinder against rotation, and a safety pin adapted to lock said transfer mechanism out of operative relation, in combination with a spring adapted to press said cylinder locking pin into cylinder-locking position, and a lever adaptn ed to put said spring into operative position and simultaneously remove said safety pin from locking position.

Y (5. A circular knitting machine having a revoluble needle cylinder, stitch transfer mechanism adapted to be swung into and out `of operative relation with said cylinder, a safety pin to lock said transfer mechanism out of operative relation, a pin adapted to lock said cylinder against rotation, and a spring adapted to press said cylinder-locking pin into operative position, in combination with a lever adapted to put said spring into operative position and simultaneously remove the safety ypin from locking position,

and a plunger adapted to prevent the return of said safety pin to locking position.

7. A circular knitting machine having a revoluble needle cylinder, stitch transfer mechanism adapted to be swung into and out of operative relation with the cylinder, a safety pin adapted to lock said transfer mechanism in retracted position and a spring-pressed plunger adapted to prevent movement of said safety pin to locking position until said transfer mechanism has been inverted over the needle cylinder.

8. A circular knitting machine having a revoluble needle cylinder, stitch transfer mechanism adapted to be swung into and `out of operative relation with the needle cylinder, a safety pin adapted to lock said transfer mechanism against inversion over the cylinder, a le'ver controlling said safety pin, a pattern drum controlling said lever and a spring tending to cause said lever to move said pin to locking position in combination with a spring-pressed plunger adapted to prevent movement of said safety pin to locking position until said transfer mechanism has been inverted over said cylinder.

9. A circular knitting machine having a revoluble needle cylinder, stitch transfer mechanism adapted to be swung into and out of operative relation with said needle cylinder, a pin to lock said cylinder'against rotation, a spring to press said pin into locking position, and a safety pin adapted to lock said transfer mechanism in retracted position, said safety pin being associated pin out of locking position until said transfer mechanism has been inverted over said cylinder and a cam surface adapted to hold said spring and locking pin in cylinder locking position during the operation of inverting and retracting said transfer mechanism.

10. A circular knitting machine having a revoluble needle cylinder and a pattern drum, stitch transfer mechanism adapted to be moved into and out of operative relation with said cylinder, a pin to lock said cylinder against rotation and a compression spring on said pin adapted, when compressed, to press said pin into locking position, a safety pin adapted to lock said transfer mechanism in retracted position, in combination with a spring-pressed plunger adapted to hold said safety pin out of locking position until the transfer mechanism has been inverted and retracted, a cam adapted to hold said spring and locking pin in cylinder locking position during the inverting and retracting operation, but permitting said safety pin to push said plunger aside and gain access to its locking position upon completion of the retracting movement, a lever controlled by the pattern drum adapted to compress said locking pin spring and simultaneously withdraw said safety pin from locking position, and a spring tending to push said safety pin toward locking position.

1l. A circular knitting machine having a revoluble needle cylinder, stitch transfer mechanism adapted to be swung into and out of operative relation with the needle cylinder, a pin adapted to lock said needle cylinder against rotation and a catch adapted to lock said transfer mechanism in inoperative position until said locking pin is in locking position.

12. A circular knitting machine having a revoluble needle cylinder and a pattern drum, stitch transfer mechanism adapted to be moved into and out of operative relation with the cylinder, a safety pin to lock said mechanism in retracted position and a pin to lock theV cylinder against rotation, in combinat-ion with means operated in one direction by the pattern drum to press said cylinder locking pin toward locking position and release said transfer mechanism for inversion over the cylinder, and operated in the other direction by inversion and revai) traction f the transfer mechanism t0 lock said transfer mechanism in retracted position and remove said cylinder locking pin, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT E. PAGE. 

